2 Feet of Snow

The Great Moving Adventure

I have to admit right now that the title is probably the most interesting thing about this post, so maybe I'll just quit right here.

Or not.

Sunday afternoon I rode over to Celaya (about 90 minutes north and then west) with Brock Hower to help the Brown family move.  The Browns are on another ministry team within CAM here in Mexico but Brock had the truck and trailer and we were available, or I should say, made ourselves available to give them a hand.  Moving permanently to Ohio is a big job, especially on about 3 weeks notice.  Especially for a family with 6 kids and one huge dog and two cats and over a decade of accumulated stuff.  They gave away a LOT but still completely filled a 5x8 trailer, one Suburban to the brim, including on top, one 7' bed Chevy pickup truck bed, a 16' trailer and there was even stuff on top of that!

The Suburban appeared to survived the haul, but the 5x8 trailer ended up with a bent axle, but likewise somehow made it to Laredo, TX (about 600 miles).  It still pulls so we hope they'll make it to Ohio in a few days without needing to repair it.

We left Queretaro Monday morning a little after 8 am and arrived at the Colombia bridge at about 8:30 pm.  Praise God we weren't involved in any mishaps, accidents or robberies or anything like that along the way which is always possible.  There was a rather scary 10 to 15 stretch near the border that is two lane but has wide shoulders to allow passing down the middle.  In the dark it was a bit daunting because it was difficult to see what was on the shoulder when it became necessary to move over there.  It was crazy with semi trucks racing 70 mph down the middle as they passed other trucks.  Sometimes they used up nearly our entire lane so we were really hugging the outside of the shoulder at 55-60 mph and we just hoped it all worked out well.  Praise God that it did.

The crossing went very smoothly and the only cost was two cans of Coke which were in my cooler.  The Mexican soldier who inspected Brock's double cab pickup, including inspecting the cooler contents, let us go, but then asked if we happened to have a couple of Cokes they could have (there were 2 soldiers working the post).  Hmmm...sure!  Small price to pay!

Tuesday morning the Browns picked up a 26' Penske moving truck and we unloaded both trailers and the pickup bed and some stuff from the Suburban into this truck.  It took us about 5 hours and it was rather chilly without heavier coats.  It lightly rained on us for a couple hours with the first hour a mix of snow flurries and rain with the temps in the mid to upper thirties.

By 2:30 pm the Browns were back on their way toward Dallas, and Brock, Bryan Smith and I went in search of stores to fulfill our shopping lists.  I had the longest list for some reason!  It was a great opportunity since we had a huge, empty trailer to carry our stuff home.

I found a great bike for Cameron and one for me.  We'd never have been able to bring down bikes with our little truck so this was a great boon.  The bikes here are expensive and really cheap and of poor quality.  Cameron has grown so much he needs a 26" bike.  He wears size 10 men's shoes, and he's only 11 years old!  Beth discovered that she can simply adjust the seat and ride my bike so we really came away with two for one.  I haven't had a bike to ride since we moved here in 2004 and I've found this one to be very comfortable.  I wouldn't ride it across town since it's rather dangerous to be a bicyclist in town.  I didn't think to buy a couple of chains and locks should I need to stop somewhere, but I should be able to ride it to the park about 1/4 mile from here.  Cameron wants to join me in doing that very thing later today.  This should really help in giving us something we can enjoy doing together.  I'm very happy about this.

Anyway, we shopped till about 11 pm including a nice dinner at Logan's Steakhouse.  We hit the road by 9 am on Wednesday.  Tired but anxious to get home.  The downtown Laredo crossing went well.  We had such a small amount of stuff for such a big truck and trailer that after the customs agent and soldiers had their hopes deflated for something worth imposing duty on, we departed with another "gratuity" given.  Brock gave up his LSU camouflage cap.  Again, the soldier in charge wasn't "demanding" anything but he asked if we might not have a spare "hunting hat."  Ha-ha...he could see the nearly new cap through the open window as he peered inside.  Brock insisted the soldier take it and afterward lamented losing it.  But he has a lot of hats, and his wife, Heather, would not be disappointed to see one leave the house for good.  lol

We arrived home around 8 to 9 pm and the only casualty was a large bottle of oil that had fallen over and apparently the inner seal at the top burst open from the air pressure changes (due to altitude changes in the mountains).  So we had about 1/2 cup of oil mess on the trailer's plywood floor.  A few things got a bit messy, but nothing seemed ruined.

I finally got my watch battery replaced.  Hard to find a place down here that will do it for some reason.  It is a fancy watch I guess.  Up until then the time was always 6:30 or 10:15 or 3:20 for hours at a time as I would move the hands every few hours just so that setting it would be easy when the new battery would be installed.  It was sort of a running joke Sunday and Monday...I'd look at my watch after some exasperating or challenging moment and say "why it's only 4:30!" and of course it was dark and rather late at the moment.


I felt very loved and probably earned "Dad of the Day Award" upon arriving home with delightful presents and US foods in tow.  That will no doubt wear off shortly but I'm still basking in the glow.

I discovered after I got home that Beth had suffered most of the time with what apparently was a kidney stone which passed.  I guess she didn't want me to worry or it happened in between phone calls.  She's all better now and that's a praise, as well as our safe round-trip.

Pray for the Browns.  They still have a long ways to go and winter weather is still hovering along their route.  Last I heard, their housing plan fell through so when they arrive in Berea, Ohio, they're going to need an affordable place to rent ASAP.  Pray for the Lord to provide the perfect place.  In my opinion, it's just as much a leap of faith to leave home in the USA for "the mission field" as it is to leave the field and return to the USA.  Neither direction is particularly easy and I think returning is often harder.


                              THE BROWNS
                (taken in late November 2008)

(front row, l to r) Joseph, Rosa
(middle row l to r) Caty, Carmen, Alan
(top row l to r) Josiah, Ceci, Phyllis

On the Move

Life keeps bumping along here in Mexico.  Not a whole lot of exciting things to report but I still gotta post on the blog, right?

We had a "despedida" on Thursday for the Brown family.  This means simply a "good-bye party."  Alan and Phyllis have been serving in Mexico for a number of years and a few years back they adopted 6 Mexican siblings.  The kids are great and most, if not all, of them have trusted in Christ.  They're such sweet kids.  We love them all.  However, they've recognized some issues from the past that just can't be dealt with while living in Mexico.  They've decided for the health of their kids, they need to move to the USA and right now.

On Wednesday I rode to Celaya with a co-worker, Brock Hower, to deliver Brock's huge trailer to their house.  The Browns are packing it up and Sunday afternoon I'll head over to Brock to get it again and then back to Queretaro to spend the night with Bryan Smith and his family.  Early Monday, Brock, Bryan and I will caravan with the Browns to Laredo, TX.  On Tuesday morning, we'll unpack the trailer into a large U-Haul and see the Browns off.  Oddly enough, they're moving to the Cleveland, Ohio area.  So, they'll be the Cleveland Browns.  :-)

The rest of the day on Tuesday will be a blur at Wal-Mart, SAM's Club, Kohls, Academy Sports, and whatever else we can fit into the few hours of shopping.  My shopping list continues to grow but for the first and probably only time ever, we'll have nearly unlimited space!  I expect it to be an expensive day!  Finally, I can get Cameron a bicycle he can ride for the next few years.  I'll probably go with a 26" bike so he should be able to wear it out.  We'll head back on Wednesday morning.

Pray for our travels, for the border crossings and that the police won't hassle us.  Brock got the worst hassle with this trailer last month when he brought it back from Texas.  What was odd to us was that the hassle was from the US police.  "Special Operations" nearly took him apart looking for missiles, guns, ammo, C-4, grenades, etc.  Nothing to hide and nothing to fear...but nearly 3 hours standing in sleet while being interrogated and searched over by a US official is not a happy event.  We pray we don't have that happen again.  This time we won't have a wife and 4 little sweet faces in the back seat to help back up the truth to our situation and travels.  Three white guys heading south with a nearly empty and huge trailer?  Gotta be something wrong, right?  Wrong!

We hope the weather holds up nicely.  We've had a lot of rain this month and it NEVER rains here in February.  No one remembers rain in February here.  It's an odd weather pattern.  The roads are pocked with huge potholes.  It's quite a mess.  Drivers don't slow down and we see a lot of wrecks.  Wednesday it rained hard and Brock and I passed a car upside down in the median and later saw two trucks had tangled.  A box truck was zipping along and smashed into a slower semi truck and trailer.  Nothing unusual here, but it's always a bit unnerving to see it.  God is our rock and guide and he determines our steps!  We're grateful to know this!

I found this photo of the accident scene on our local online newspaper.

Today as I was coming back from Queretaro it struck me once again how different it is to drive here.  Zipping along in the fast lane at about 80 mph is way faster than I drive in the US.  However, the other two lanes are death traps with trucks and cars going so slowly that they get rear-ended all the time.  However, 80 mph is fast enough to get into the fast lane but I still have to briefly get over at times to avoid getting run over by cars traveling at 90+mph.  What really struck me was how I was seeing pedestrians run across in front of me at these speeds!  I passed a wobbly bicyclist coming toward me on the narrow left shoulder.  It's really quite a crazy combination of things on and off the road (I shouldn't mention the prostitutes on the side of the highway too!)  It's just a different world here from what we're used to back in the USA.  And yet, I'm pretty much used to it!

Gotta get moving...have an ESL class in 35 minutes and need some pages copies on the way over there.  We appreciate your prayers!

"What if...?" (thoughts from friends)

I read the following on the blog of friends of ours. They have been living and ministering in Nicaragua for nearly two years. This summer they will be returning to the U.S. having completed their short-term ministry.

Living in the middle of mostly profound poverty deeply changes one's perspectives. Their thoughts below are equally profound and which I find valid and worthy of reflection and action. I hope you'll appreciate this as much as I do. I also hope that we'll all act upon the truths of Scripture and live out our faith in Jesus Christ as true followers. It is not enough to ponder and discuss the virtues of Christianity and The Bible. We must daily take up the cross of Christ and live as Jesus lived and as do He instructed us.

One of my favorite quotes outside of Scripture is the following:

 
"You love Jesus Christ as much as the person you love the least."


I'm afraid that often I do not love Jesus very much.  May I love Him deeply today.

 

What if...?

Steve and I have been having some lively discussions lately about poverty, about our return to the US in July, about what we want our vision to be, for us personally and as a family.

A book that Abby lent us has definitely fueled our conversations. It is called Simple Spirituality. I highly recommend it to anyone who does not want to be “comfortable”; somebody who wants to be challenged in their spiritual walk and think more about how we as rich Christians should address our brothers and sister who live in poverty.

A passage from Isaiah has also continually puzzled and challenged us. Here is the passage, from Isaiah 58:

2 Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.

3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice? Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.

4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.

5 Is this the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
To loose the bonds of injustice,
To undo the thongs of the yoke,
To let the oppressed go free,
And to break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them ,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

What is God saying here? What does this look like in the 21st century? Is it possible that as Christians, God is asking us to do more than go to church once a week and give a tithe? We have been asking God to show us what this means. How do we “loose the bonds of injustice” or “break every yoke?”

I started to imagine what this might look like. What if…

Instead of thinking that adoption is only for those who cannot have children, every Christian saw it as an alternative to abortion, a ministry, a way to personally affect someone for Jesus? Fact: If only 7% of the world’s Christians would adopt a child the orphanages of the world would be empty. Also see James 1:27

Instead of adorning our churches with fancy decorations, we gave the money to poorer churches for their needs, or even to homeless and starving families? James 2: 5,15,16,Romans 12:13

Instead of thoughtlessly piling our food on our plates and eating until we can hardly walk, we spent some time at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter…and learned what it means to be truly thankful? 1 Thessalonians 4: 18, Colossians 3:17

Instead of building a bubble around our family, we learned about persecuted Christians in other countries and taught our children to pray for them? Hebrews 13: 3

Instead of building big churches, we had only house churches, and the money we saved could be used to support our brothers and sisters in need? 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Instead of mothers competing against each other through their children, they became like true sisters, encouraging each other and praying for one another? Philippians 1:27, Ephesians 4:1-3, 1 John 4:20, I Peter 4:8, Titus 2:3-5, I Corinthians 10:24

Instead of tearing down masculinity and waffling on family issues, churches powerfully and practically supported the men and their marriages? 1 Peter 5: 1-3, James 5:16, Titus 2: 2, 6, Ephesians 5: 25-31

Instead of believing that war is the only option, we truly believed that Love overcomes all things? 1 John 4:4, 8 and 5: 3-5, 1 Corinthians 13:8,13, Romans 8:31,37

Instead of criticizing our leaders and fighting each other along political lines, we remember that our kingdom is not of this world and we pray for those in authority over us? 1 Peter 2:13, Romans 13:1,2

Instead of spending on our money on beautifying large houses in the suburbs, going on expensive vacations, making payments on luxurious vehicles and buying a new wardrobe every season, we lived more simply and directed the money towards people who don’t know where their next meal will come from? 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Colossians 3:2,3, James 2:14-17

Instead of thinking that evangelism is only the work of missionaries, we resolved to get to know our neighbors, our co-workers, and to walk alongside them and possibly even tell them about Jesus? I John 3: 18, James 4:12,

What would this world look like?

I don’t know for sure, and I realize that none of these are easy, but I think it would look very differently.

"Do To Others As You Would Have Them Do To You"

I remember the spiritual life counselor at Academia Los Pinares in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, teaching our elementary kids a song by that title.  It's a catchy tune and I still have the words planted in my memory.  That's probably an apt title for this post.

Yesterday, after our house church service, we discovered that Jason and Kristin were celebrating their 9th anniversary on this Valentine's Day.  I learned a few things from questioning them.

They were married in the office of a Justice of the Peace in Eden Prairie, MN (or some such place...I know it had "Prairie" in the name).  They remembered that aside from the government official, a guy they knew named Jim was the other witness.  They don't know whatever has become of Jim.  We joked about it.  I suggested that Jim was on weekend-release and thus able to be there as a witness.  They thought that was funny which is a good thing!  (my humor can be way too strange sometimes)

I asked them if they missed the life they had back then (knowing it was filled with drugs and heavy drinking and all sorts of problems), and Kristin replied, "No way!  It seems so long ago and we were such a mess.  It feels like it was another lifetime or even the life of someone else and not my own."  They've been through a LOT and Jesus has really brought them through to "the other side."

They mentioned that they went to the matinee of the movie Avatar on Saturday afternoon to celebrate their anniversary, but when they got across town to the theater, they discovered that they're now showing the 3-D version, and there is no matinee version.  They'd have to pay the full price of 75 pesos which is about $6 apiece.  They were planning on paying less than that amount for all of them.  They just couldn't afford that and I guess they'd decided they'd spent too much just getting there to go to McDonald's which is a few miles in another direction.  Kristin LOVES McDonald's but for their budget, it's expensive.  They might go there once a year.  Originally, they were deciding between seeing the movie or going to McDonald's.

I've eaten a meal with them at their home before.  I can tell you, we live and eat like kings compared to those on a Mexican factory worker salary.  Re-heated corn tortillas, lardy, refried beans and a small piece of shoe leather (possibly a meat-like substance) is lamentable for routine meals in their home.

And the song..."Do To Others..." rings in my ears.

So, tonight when I went over for Bible study, I thought I'd change up the schedule and instead of discussing with Jason what Jesus said in the Bible, I'd show him.  I asked Kristin if it was OK with her if Jason went with me to SAM's Club, and without protest we headed over there.  She was actually really happy because she didn't want to have to try to keep Justin quiet in his little room for our normal 2 to 3 hour study.

Once we got to SAM's, I told him that I didn't really need anything, but Beth and I were thinking that maybe it'd be OK with them if we got them some goodies at SAM's for their anniversary.  He didn't really know what to say..."Uh...sure...that'd be OK."

We went down a bunch of aisles and picked up some fairly normal stuff like pancake mix, flour, popcorn, hamburgers, cheddar sausages, cereal, and coffee.  I gave Jason a coffeemaker, a few hundred coffee filters, and coffee for Christmas but since running out of it, they haven't been able to afford any more coffee.  The big can from SAM's should last them a couple months.  He said, "Yeah, we really like pancakes.  Haven't had them in a long time."

When we got home, the look on Kristin's face was priceless.  She really hadn't suspected that I was going to SAM's to buy them stuff.  She gave me a big hug and I felt pretty sure that if I were them, I'd be just as appreciative if they had done this for me.  Not an especially fabulous gift for an anniversary, but I know it is difficult to do much of anything on just a few dollars income a day.

It's great to do to others as we would have them to us, isn't it?  I really didn't want to post this publicly.  I am not patting myself on the back or wanting praise for anything, but if I can encourage you to do an act of kindness for someone else this week through this small example, then I think that would make it worth sharing with you.  I hope you'll go for it!

What would you like for someone to do to you?  Do to others....

Before It's Too Late to Mention

I meant to post this about two days ago but got forgetful all of a sudden.  :-)

Some good friends and supporters of ours, whom we first met in Honduras over 10 years ago, have a grandson in these Winter Olympics!  How rare is that to be related to an Olympian?!?  They gave me permission to post this brief email message they sent to alert their friends of this fact and to perhaps look out for his performance and cheer for him!  (unless you're related to one of his competitors, of course, ha-ha!)

GO RYAN BEDFORD!!!

FROM JIM AND PRUDY BEDFORD:

The Winter Olympics will soon be starting in Vancouver, B.C.  We wanted to tell you that one of our grandsons, Ryan Bedford, is on the US Long Track Speedskating team.  Ryan is the son of our youngest son Phillip and his wife Beth.  He won the 10K in the US Olympic Trials in December and qualified him.  He is 23 years old and has been skating since he was 5.  He has a website so if you are interested in knowing more about him.  ryan@ryanbedford.com    He will be skating the 10K on the Richmond Olympic Oval on February 23.  The event starts at 11AM Pacific time.  We do not know how much TV coverage the event will get, but if you do see it and see Ryan you will know that he is our grandson.  We are so happy that he had made the team as he has worked so hard for a place on the team and it is a great honor to represent our country at the Olympics.  We pray that he stays in excellent health and is free from injury as he prepares in Vancouver for this
 event.

[Yahoo Sports Olympics Schedule shows this race will be at 2 p.m. EST Tuesday, February 23rd which is the same as 11 a.m. Pacific as stated above]

Anyone Up For a Challenge?

As I've mentioned in recent posts, some very populated areas in and around Mexico City have been profoundly affected by recent heavy rains and flooding. A massive drainage canal broke and is still in the process of being repaired. Entire communities have been under water (about 80% rainwater and 20% sewage mixed) for over a week now. The governor of the state of Mexico (which surrounds the federal district (D.F.) states in the news today that between 80,000 and 100,000 people live in these areas that are still under water. Over 10,000 homes have been damaged by the flooding.

We have some very commendable co-workers who live within walking distance of the flooding, and along with the believers in their relatively new church plant, they have begun receiving financial contributions for a temporary relief outreach to a nearby community.

This past week they began purchasing bottle water and boxes of basic food stuffs ("dispensas") for distribution. They also began a small food stand for preparing and distributing breakfast meals to members in that community (seen in the photos above). Most people in this community have suffered a great economic loss and are struggling to just get their lives back in order. This is very difficult to do when there is still a couple feet of smelly water in the first floor of one's home. Yet, the people continue to slosh on and get to work, if they still have a place to work.

A day or so ago, I saw a TV interview with a woman who continues to go to her job inside Mexico City, but due to the flooding, she has to walk great distances each morning and night so she can reach a bus line that will take her to and from work. She said she has to walk 20 kilometers (not sure if she said each way or perhaps each day). Twenty kilometers is over 12 miles! The Mexican people are resilient and many are very hard workers. Of course, if you want to eat today, you work today.


So, back to the outreach efforts....


See the latest blog posts by Rod Fry:

In the Shadow of Volcanoes (multiple posts from past week)


...and by Jim Cottrill:

Finding Direction (scroll down to the posts on February 11th and 10th)


There is still a need for financial contributions for providing boxes of bottled water, food, cleaning supplies and meals. These efforts to meet basic physical needs are part of a very important and visible effort to gain some visibility for believers who are often viewed as a part of a foreign religion that should be avoided. Gaining the confidence of those who are in need is a first step in gaining a hearing for the Gospel. Personal trust is so very important in this culture before introducing the Good News. The opportunity there right now is tremendous and with a few thousand dollars, many spiritual bridges can be built for sharing the divine bridge of grace from God to man.

THE CHALLENGE

I'd like to challenge you to financially support this outreach effort. I know there are lots of special causes and needs in the world today, but as I evaluate and compare them, I see that this cause is not just helping hungry and thirsty people have food and water, but these things will be distributed by the hands of believers who have a great concern for the spiritual needs of the people to whom they're ministering. Seeds of the Gospel will be planted and I believe God will use these efforts to bring new believers into the family of God...our family. I can't think of any other special cause worthy of my support.

I would like to see $500 raised through those who read our ministry/family blog to help with this outreach.

I am willing and ready to give sacrificially up to $250. I'd like for one or more persons to provide another $250.

Would you match my gift or part of it?

If you're willing to give toward this project, would you let me know by email of your intention and the amount you want to give so I can keep track of the contribution challenge?

My email address without the parentheses is (amcmanus(at)caminternational.org).

[to help prevent potential spam I've changed the "@" to "at" in my address and placed it within the parentheses]


To give via check and snail mail the address and info is as follows:

CAM International
8625 La Prada Dr.
Dallas, TX 75228

Make your check payable to "CAM International" and CAM's Emergency Relief fund number is #062250. Put this number on the memo line, with a note that it's for the flooding in Mexico.


You can also give online on CAM International's web site at the following link:

CAM International - Donate Online

CAM has a secure and convenient web page for giving electronically via credit card or Paypal. This method works well and the only information you'll need aside from your credit card or Paypal information is the following:

"Donation Amount" (enter amount in US Dollars)
"Donation Frequency" (select: Special gift- One time)
"Specific Project" (enter project number: 062250)

Then choose your payment option and enter the applicable information for the option you choose. This should be a tax-deductible contribution. I've actually given via the credit card method and it worked flawlessly and I received an email confirmation from CAM within a few minutes of completing the above.

The following is an attractive Gospel invitation being given out in this relief effort.

WHERE IS GOD?
Is it true that He loves me?

"...inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

- Jesus (Matthew 25:40)

Rain, Floods and Winds, oh my!

The past two weeks of co-op have been quite unusual. A week ago the rains were so heavy that flooding closed roads and schools in the region and we ended up canceling c0-op classes. Yesterday, during the 2nd and 3rd hours speech class (I was substitute "teaching" this class), the wind picked up. It blew through the open vent areas on one side and began lifting the roof panels a little bit. It was enough torque to eventually cause the welds to break on one of the roof trusses.

We ran out of the large room and decided it wasn't safe to meet under a roof that could collapse. Unfortunately, where we had been meeting was the only available location in the community center with enough electrical outlets to plug in the TV and DVD player. The speech class uses a DVD curriculum.

Note to self: In Mexico it is a good idea to always have an extension cord, a power strip and a couple of 3-prong adapters in the car at all times. One would think I would have learned this by now.

So far in February we've had a "Rain/Flood Day" and a "Wind/Roof Day." I wonder what else could come up....

As I posted on my Facebook status, "3rd Hour Speech Class Canceled Due to Excessive Wind."

LOL

20 OHMS is now 21 OHMS (officially!)

Announcing the birth of:

Jenna Hope O’Brien
February 10, 2010 @ 1:24 PM
7 lbs. 11 oz. ~ 20.5 in.

Congratulations to Tim and Michelle O'Brien! A fourth arrow in your family quiver and maybe the last time we change our team name...at least as far as the O's are concerned. :-)

We're all praising God with you!

Wednesday's News Cycle

It must be a Wednesday because I can't come up with anything witty for a post title.



Stuff going on these days:

• Our T2 Team is about to be officially renamed from 20 OHMS to 21 OHMS. Tim and Michelle O'Brien are in a maternity ward somewhere in Queretaro today in order to have a baby girl. Michelle was on bed rest for many weeks due to premature labor and since husband Tim "took her off" of bed rest about 2 weeks ago when it was considered safe for the baby, not much has happened. The doctor wanted them to go ahead and schedule an induced labor and birth this Thursday. He later bumped it up to today for fear of missing a conference tomorrow! Rest assured he has everyone's best interests at heart. Pray for Michelle (and Tim) and baby Jenna today. We haven't heard any word yet but I'm fairly certain that the moment Tim and Michelle have a new baby, the first thing on their mind is NOT to call me. Go figure.
• Since Tim is busy with baby business, I got the relief pitching call in the bullpen to cover the 4 ESL classes last night and tonight. Tim was on top of it and even gave me notes to work with so I wouldn't be totally clueless. Last night went fine...I was only half-clueless as expected.
• One of our dear homeschooling families have come to a very difficult but Spirit-led decision to leave the field. They have a great challenge in front of them and we know God will take care of them as they move to the Cleveland, OH area. For us, this not only means we will miss them, we'll miss the mom being one of our literature circle teachers and we'll miss their 6 kids!
  
• Ironically, two new families were approved by CAM from the long road of raising support to the long road of moving to Mexico and learning Spanish and finding working out their ministry plans.
  

So, the cycle of missions and missionary families continues onward as does the cycle of new life. (no deaths to report...which is just fine with me!)

Don't Let This Opportunity Go Down the Drain

http://ixtapalucafryed.blogspot.com/2010/02/giving-disaster-relief-via-cam-intl.html

I know the dire situation in Haiti and the economy and the _______ (fill in the blank), etc., etc. have all garnered our attention and tugged on our hearts' strings and wallets to help out, but there is a massive disaster just a few hours from here that has garnered very little attention in the press these past few days.

Mexico City is in a crisis with flooding that has resulted in many thousands of lives and homes being uprooted and are literally wallowing in sewage. It is a horrible situation. That's the bad news.

The good news is CAM missionaries in that area are willing to minister and to see this catastrophe as a God-given opportunity to share the Good News with as many people as possible, and to demonstrate the Good News through some small care packages that will meet the needs of hundreds if not thousands of people. A package like this is a small token of Christ's love; but also a well-placed message and invitation to consider the Gospel message in a time of crisis. The areas affected have tens of thousands of people who've probably never heard the real message of the Gospel before and in times of crisis, they are more likely to listen than ever before.

Having lived through Hurricane Mitch in Honduras over a decade ago, I recall the outpouring of American churches and individuals who sent food, clothing, water and mostly monetary contributions to help those in an immediate crisis. However, one element often lacking in these humanitarian responses, even by believers, is the accompanying and explicit message of hope and life in Christ. It's great to help fellow human beings with their physical needs, but to do so without ever ministering to their spiritual needs, in my opinion, is a failed response. It isn't one or the other, but both that is needed.

I don't know much about the kind of help given in Haiti and how the Gospel message may have been included in the avalanche of humanitarian aid, but I know for certain that there was no such message with relief from the Red Cross or other large, secular aid agencies. Even churches often fail in this regard.

All of this to point out, here's a GREAT opportunity to ministry to some people who are in a real crisis, with missionaries already located nearby (living within minutes of some of the worst affected areas). Our co-workers are are ready, willing and able to distribute exactly the kind of physical response that is needed and that would be appreciated by the recipients, as well as including a very real spiritual message of the Gospel. They've already created and printed a tract designed for this particular crisis. They're ready to get to work on this opportunity.

What they're lacking is the support of many churches and believers to supply the funds so that they can purchase what is needed to assemble these outreach packages.

Anyone care to know more? Please visit the link above and read through the blog post. Also, look over Rod Fry's blog for entries over the past week. You'll get a better understanding of what has happened there and what the situation really is. Feel free to respond to Rod's blog if you have any questions or would like more information. If I can help you in that regard, feel free to let me know as well. I'm happy to help you find out the information that you need.

Don't let this opportunity go down the drain...the sewer system will eventually be repaired, the dirty water will recede, the clean up will carry on and eventually conclude, and the opportunity will likewise fade away. Now is the best time to respond. I hope you'll consider praying and giving toward this need and opportunity.

The Party

As many Americans like to do this time of year, we enjoyed a Super Bowl party yesterday. Of course, the main purpose of the party was to eat, enjoy fellowship, conversation and laughter. I think there was a football game on and I think we watched it. I think it was a good game.

Our 20 OHMS ministry team (very soon to be 21 OHMS) joined with us (O'Brien, Hower, McManus, and Smith families), as well as Jason, Kristin and Justin, and Paul and Grace Becker who were invited at the last minute when we discovered they had no other party to join for the evening. So...that was 12 kids (Cameron was staying in Queretaro with a friend) and 12 adults. Great party size.

For the most part the ladies and children took over the downstairs and the guys borrowed my mother-in-law's apartment to watch the game upstairs (she's in the USA so she'll never know...until she reads this post!). The guys made small talk, told jokes or at least tried to be funny, and in general, just enjoyed being together. The women sort of watched the kids, talked about babies and in general, just enjoyed being together. Other than that I really don't know for sure. I didn't go downstairs until the game was over which I thought may have been the greatest victory of the night. :-)

7 Observations of a Highly Effective Waste of Time (a.k.a. "a Super Bowl Party"):

1. The "American Beef - Angus Selections" hamburgers I bought at SAM's Club contained "carne de res" (beef) and "carne de puerco" (pork) and "especias" (spices). I'd never heard of Angus Pigs before but this is Mexico, and this is SAM's Club which also once sold me frozen "Fried Shrimp" which was basically shrimp-shaped breading with flecks of something inside that might have been shrimp and sort of tasted like shrimp (especially when dipped in cocktail sauce).
2. For some unknown reason, I skipped the American Beef Angus Selections Spiced Pork Beefburger (made in Mexico) and ate a processed chicken burger (also made in Mexico). It sort of tasted like...chicken.
   
3. 12 children under the age of 9 can make a tremendous amount of noise and leave "food boogers" in the strangest places. I found half-chewed orange colored chips of some kind stuck on my Sunday "sermon" notes in the living room. Shouldn't have left those on the coffee table! Actually, at the end of the night our house was much cleaner than I expected which was a welcome surprise.
   
4. Most kids REALLY like those little sausage fingers called "little smokies" and which taste like...you know...I have no idea what they taste like. I ate some, but the flavor certainly isn't sausage. They had a hint of plastic flavor and were sweet. Anyway, kids love 'em. Make just about any food that looks fun to eat and has a sweet sauce all over it, and kids will love 'em. Maybe next year we'll use the same sauce and wrap up some veggies in cellophane and cook 'em until they look like little smokies. Come to think of it, I bet they sell these in the frozen section at SAM's Club already.
   
5. Right after I predicted that Peyton Manning would probably pass for a TD and go for a 2 point conversion to win the game by one point, I said, "This would be a good time for an interception." Literally one second later, the Saints intercepted Manning and scored the final touchdown of the game. I was impressed. (I did not predict the onside kick.)
   
6. We don't get all those Super Bowl TV ads down here and watching the half-time show might be against the rules of my church membership, so aside from filling up plates of food at half-time, we watched snippets of Mr. Bean on A&E.
7. Jason told me that this was the first Super Bowl he'd ever watched completely. Oh, and it was also the first American football game that he'd ever watched completely. Quite a night for Jason!

Massive Flooding

You can't tell how profoundly large the flooding is in this homemade video, but it's likely that this flooding in southeast Mexico City has displaced many thousands of people, possibly tens of thousands. The neighborhoods affected are home to probably several million people. I'll try to give you more accurate figures as I find them.

Our CAM co-workers Rod & Myra Fry and Jim and Shari Cottrill live very close to this area and are working to assess the situation and how they can best respond to it. No doubt this tragedy is presenting them...you...us...with an opportunity to touch many lives with physical assistance with a view toward helping them with their spiritual needs as well.

The affected area is about 3 hours' drive from here.

I will post Rod's video and also include a link to his blog that contains this same video as well as more information on what has happened there. I hope you'll take a look, pray and consider how the Lord may lead you to respond. Thanks.



BLOG: In The Shadow Of Volcanoes

Flood Day Today - No Classes

We've noticed that many of our Facebook friends have mentioned having "Snow Days" at their schools this year. Today, we had a "Flood Day" as our co-op classes were canceled due to excessive rain and flooding.

This is unusual for us here because we normally don't see even a drop of rain in the month of February. I can't remember ever seeing even more than a few sporadic clouds in any of our prior 4 February months that we've lived here in San Juan. We've seen rain here since January 30th and since Monday it has been fairly steady and at times heavy. The weather people mention "El Niño" as the cause. I'm not sure about him or "Mother Earth." I prefer to just stick with "act of God" since He is the only real "Weather Man."

Anyway, streets are flooded all over the cities in this region, the highways are treacherous due to standing water, excessive speed (it's chronically incurable here), poor maintenance (bald tires aren't flat so people drive with bald tires), and variable levels of driver competence. Our family that comes from the camp to co-op classes knew they couldn't get through the muddy road. The rest of us realized the driving, streets and highways were laden with water and risk. So..."Flood Day" it is. Ahhh...a cup of hot coffee...blueberry muffins...leisure reading of the news. Life is better when it rains!

I believe the rains will finally taper off tonight and hopefully we'll dry up enough for the shower to drain properly (it always backs up when there's heavy rains) and the local phone lines will dry out so that the land line phone will work once again. The lines obviously need repair somewhere in the system, since our phone always stops working and acts like it's off the hook when we get heavy rains. So glad we have a dry home and that last summer we had a new coat of sealant applied to our roof. It's already cracking a little but is holding back the moisture just fine (as far as we've noticed).

The Mexican Drug War

Saw this chart today. This year there have been 1,000 drug war deaths in Mexico in the first 34 days. Last year it took 51 days to reach the same number. There's a drug war death every 48 minutes in Mexico as the war worsens.

My brother-in-law and his family minister in and around Ciudad Juarez which is the epicenter of deaths, including at least 16 youth killed at a party last weekend (with no known link to drugs (hard to believe)...and may have been "just a message"). Pray for Ken and Esme and their 3 little girls today if you'd be so kind.

So far our area is in a small region relatively untouched by the violence with only a few exceptions. Praise God for that!